Sea Squirts and Lampreys, Which Are Closely Related Aquatic Animals

Multiple Choice

Sea squirts and lampreys, which are closely related aquatic animals, have a perforated pharynx, a ventral heart, and a notochord at some stage of development. These similarities are best explained by

A) artificial selection.
B) a common ancestry.
C) inheritance of acquired characteristics.
D) the "Ladder of Nature."
E) uniformitarianism.